You will also need help with lowering property taxes, finding the right insurance, and selecting properties that fit the BRRRR model.  

From there, you can start building your basics: learning how to analyze deals, picking a market that fits your goals, and surrounding yourself with people who’ve done it before.

As your RE business stabilizes, it is possible to be more hands off and focus more on your W-2 career.It will also allow you to see if RE investing is a good fit for you.

I’ve been focused heavily on national lenders and hard money options, but your experience highlights why local relationships are likely a better long-term fit in markets like this.When you initially approached local banks/credit unions for those early refis, did you already have the property stabilized with a tenant in place, or were they willing to lend based on projected rents and appraised value post-rehab?

You do not need to limit yourself to someone local—working remotely greatly expands your options and often leads to a better fit.

Just make sure the loan structure fits the deal — fix & flip financing looks very different than long-term rental or DSCR takeout.For context, at Garwol Financial we help investors finance fix & flip projects in Chicago and across most other states, and we often work with out-of-state buyers who are building teams remotely.

The repair/turnover side is also a huge factor for me, so it’s good to hear you have a dedicated crew to help manage those costs.Since you're a licensed Georgia broker and actively managing properties in the area, I'd be interested in learning more about your approach and seeing whether it’s a good fit for my condo in Smyrna.

If you’re getting into a primary with 50–60k of instant equity and it fits your budget, that’s usually a solid move, especially since it gives you a place to live while you build experience and net worth.

I would love to share a bit more about our market if you had questions about how it might be a good fit!

Also, if anyone here has a lead that didn't work for a flip because it was too expensive/large, but might fit a builder's model, I'd be happy to take a look.